


Oofuri Rarepair Week

by icymuze



Category: Ookiku Furikabutte | Big Windup!
Genre: M/M, Multi, Panic Attack, Sensory Overload, a lil bit of angst, airport goodbyes, but it's cute i promise, hatake is a dick, tajima and mihashi make it to the big leagues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-03
Updated: 2015-08-03
Packaged: 2018-04-12 18:01:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4489320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icymuze/pseuds/icymuze
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>anything and everything I write for the oofuri rarepair week! </p><p>tags will update as the work updates</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. DAY ONE: BEGINNINGS, ALTERNATE

**Author's Note:**

> prompts are the chapter titles! 
> 
> oofurishipweeks is the tumblr!

“Don’t you miss playing baseball with everyone?” 

Ren ducked his head and shook it, avoiding answering his boyfriend’s question out loud. They were in their second year of high school, and it had been nearly two years since Ren had been on the mound. He still pitched occasionally -he would never grow tired of pitching- but he didn’t miss the disappointment of losing games, or of his teammates telling him to give up the mound. He didn’t miss hearing the crack of the bat as pitch after pitch was hit. 

“I-I like watching y-you…” 

Shuugo smiled softly and leaned over to peck Ren on the cheek; he took off his hat and waved at his face, trying to cool down after the successful game. “The team is having dinner, at that new izakaya near the school. I know a few guys are bringing girlfriends… Do you want to come with us?” 

Ren was about to say no, but he caught Shuugo’s eyes. They were really hopeful, and Ren just couldn’t find it in himself to deny him. “Y-yeah… sure. D-do you… ride together?” 

Shuugo nodded. “Yeah. Just wait for me, and we can ride our bikes there together.” He pecked Ren once on the lips before heading over to the locker room so he could shower and change. The two almost always walked or biked home together; Ren had been to every single one of Shuugo’s games since they started high school. 

He wondered sometimes what it would have been like, if he had stuck with baseball. He couldn’t have stayed at Mihoshi; that would have been too mortifying. Maybe he would have gone to live with his parents in Saitama. It was all pointless to think about now, of course. He had made his choice. 

Shuugo was quick to shower and change; Ren wasn’t left standing outside for long. The two walked together to the bike rack, looping their pinkie fingers together in a small display of affection. It hadn’t been long since they started dating; it was only a few months since a fumbled first kiss and awkward confessions. Ren was still having a hard time believing it, honestly. 

Part of the reason Ren loved being with Shuugo was the fact that he knew when to chatter and fill the air, and when to let the silence hang. The walk to the bike rack was quiet and sweet and over too quickly; they let go of each other and went to unlock their bikes. “I’m really glad you’re coming, Ren. I think you’ll like this place; the food is pretty cheap, and you get a lot.” 

Ren nodded, trying not to worry about having to eat with everyone else there. Hatake was still… Hatake, and about half the team had played with Ren in middle school. Ren honestly didn’t know if they still hated him for everything that happened; he still hated himself for it, after all. He tried not to let the worry show on his face; Shuugo was still excited, and now that they were riding, he was chattering about the various people on the team that Ren hadn’t ever met. 

The restaurant itself was loud and cheerful. A few teammates from Mihoshi were there; Shuugo waved and sat down with them, introducing Ren to the people who didn’t know him. They were all friendly, receptive; Ren could feel his anxiety easing up just a bit. Over the next twenty minutes, the rest of the team trickled in, bringing girlfriends and friends and, in one case, a little sister. The large group ended up taking a few tables, but they were all still close enough to talk and laugh. Food was ordered, in large portions meant for sharing, and the conversation was casual.

The night went really well, until Hatake got up and sat next to Shuugo. “You killed it today! Your speed just keeps increasing and increasing. I wouldn’t be surprised to see you hit 160 kph one day, you know?” 

 

Shuugo rolled his eyes. “You’re so full of it. I’m barely breaking 155. Besides, I think I should have more variety. And better control. I feel like you have to strain to catch it half the time.”   
Hatake shrugged. “That’s on me, I need to get better at catching it.” He side-eyed Ren, sipping at his drink. “I’m really glad you have the chance to show off your skills. No one is stealing away that ace number from you.” 

Ren blushed a little, eating something that was fried and delicious. He didn’t say anything, and Shuugo just rolled his eyes. Hatake continued subtly jabbing at Ren. “I’m really glad there isn’t any favoritism or lazy coaching anymore. You know that everyone on the team has really earned their spot.” 

Ren set his food down, his mouth going dry. “I- I-” He stood up, the restaurant suddenly overwhelmingly loud and bright and too much, it was all too much. He stood up, going outside into the warm air, trying to catch his breath. Ren walked into the nearby alley, leaning against the wall and rubbing at his eyes. They were full of tears, and he was hoping that they hadn’t started falling until he was outside and away from Hatake. 

“Ren.” 

His head snapped up; Shuugo was standing before him. “S-s-s-sorry, I- I-” 

“Atsushi- Hatake is a dick. He never knows when to shut up, and… Look, I’m sorry for the way he’s acting tonight.” 

Ren took in a deep breath. “I’m- It was just- loud, and-” He was shaking a little. Suddenly understanding, Shuugo stepped forward, gently placing his hands over Ren’s ears. It had been a while since Ren had been hit with sensory overload like this, but Shuugo knew what to do. He kept his hands over Ren’s ears until his breathing was even and he had stopped shaking. 

“Ren. Don’t listen to what Hatake has to say, okay? You have worth, and you’re one hell of a pitcher. I know you still practice sometimes.” Shuugo looked Ren in the eyes, kissing him softly. “And even if you don’t play with us anymore, even if you were a bad pitcher -and you’re not- you still have worth. You still matter. I still love you.” His cheeks went a little red as the words left him, but he didn’t try to take them back. 

Ren slowly smiled and hugged Shuugo. “I… I love you, too. Thank you…” They stood there a few minutes quietly, and then they headed back inside, hands grasped tightly. The two sat back down, even though Hatake hadn’t moved. 

Shuugo elbowed the catcher in the side, and he huffed a little. “I’m sorry, Mihashi. About what I said earlier.” 

Ren nodded, not saying anything. He didn’t need to; his hand was still interlinked with Shuugo’s, and that said more than Ren ever could.


	2. DAY TWO: TRIP/GOODBYE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a little bit shorter but pretty sweet

Today was the day. Tajima was leaving Japan and going to the United States, to play baseball! He wasn’t really looking forward to the long flight, but he was excited for his new life. The best part of it all was that Mihashi had been recruited as well, and they’d share the plane ride until they reached Los Angeles. 

The two met up at the airport, both shouldering small bags (the large suitcases had already been checked and taken away). Tajima hugged Mihashi excitedly, vibrating with energy. “Can you believe it? This is actually happening!! Guess all those extra English lessons will come in handy after all!” 

Mihashi smiled, nodding. “Y-yeah… I wonder what our teammates will be like… Have you ever met an American?” 

Tajima shook his head as they walked over to the waiting area, sitting down. “I’ve met a few tourists, but never for longer than to give them directions or something.” He grinned. “Still, I bet it’ll be exciting!” 

Mihashi nodded, his smile fading quickly. “Do you… Do you think we’ll…”

“What, see each other? Well, we’re in the same league, so we’ll probably face each other… Other than that, though, we’re going to be pretty far away from each other, I think.” He frowned a little. Mihashi had been a constant in his life ever since high school. 

Mihashi wiped at his eyes hurriedly, and Tajima leaned over to hug him. “Hey, don’t cry! Tell ya what, here’s what we’ll do. Once a month, one of us will fly out to watch the other person’s games, and then we’ll get dinner and hang out and see each other!!” He grinned. “And then during the off season we can fly back home and visit everyone else!” Tajima was grinning, holding onto his oldest friend and rubbing his shoulders. “You’re my best friend. You think moving away from each other is going to get rid of me? Nah, you’re stuck with me.” 

Mihashi laughed gently, wiping at his eyes. “Sorry, I just- no one understands me like you do, I guess. I’m… I’m going to miss always being with you.” He leaned into Tajima’s embrace, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. 

“Don’t worry, Ren. You can always depend on me.”


End file.
